- July 11, 2025
The Ormond Beach City Commission tabled an auto-renewal of a $1.9 million contract with Yellowstone Landscape at its meeting on Tuesday, June 3, with some commissioners expressing interest in putting it out for bid next year.
The city has been utilizing the same contractor for its landscaping services since 2012. The contract with Yellowstone includes mowing and grounds maintenance services to over 375 sites in the city.
City Commissioner Travis Sargent pulled the contract from the consent agenda, saying that while Yellowstone "does a great job," he had concerns with the packet the commission received. Namely, the inclusion of additional services approved last year, a map showing exact locations where the company services and other administrative updates.
"I would like to table this until those documents get in there," Sargent said. "... This contract's been in there since 2012. I think it might be time to bid it out."
Leisure Services Director Robert Carolin said that the contract the commission was given in the packet was the original one from 2012 because it has been an ongoing auto-renewal. If the commission decides not to renew it, the contract would expire on Oct. 1.
If the commission, however, does decide to go out for bid, staff would need time to prepare that, Carolin added.
"It's an extremely large contract and we need to make sure that we have the opportunity to put it out on the street for a length of time, go through that entire process," he said.
Commissioner Lori Tolland suggested the commission look at bidding out the contract for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, and approve Yellowstone's existing contract once the commission receives the updated information requested by Sargent.
"I agree that when you have a cost this big ... that sending it out is a smart thing because you might have a more competitive bid," Tolland said. "I also need to state that Yellowstone has been an amazing partner with the city. I've worked with them with different projects and the quality of their work is good, but I think keeping everybody on their toes is not a bad idea."
On waiting until next year to bid it out, Carolin said that would be staff's "best case scenario."
The Yellowstone contract wasn't the only consent agenda item tabled by the commission Tuesday night.
Sargent also pulled an agreement between the city and the Volusia County School Board for shared funding for a school resource officer position at Ormond Beach Middle School. The agreement dictates that the city and School Board split the cost of the officer's salary and benefits equally.
"I sent the School Board an email asking how many other municipalities fund with a 50/50 match, and I haven't received an answer," Sargent said. "I am not for funding this. I think this is something School Board needs to fund."
According to a staff report, the city established an agreement with Volusia County Schools in 2017 using a grant that provided funding for three years. After grant funding expired, the city and VCS agreed to split the costs. The city's share is a little over $27,000.
The school district does have other 50/50 cost share agreements for SROs with other Volusia cities. The city of DeLand splits cost evenly with VCS for two SROs, and so does the city of Daytona Beach for its 11 SROs. The city of South Daytona also splits costs 50/50 for one SRO.
Additionally, the district has a cost share agreement with the Volusia Sheriff's Office, with VCS paying 55% of the cost for deputies.
City Manager Joyce Shanahan said she appreciated the commission's comments about the School Board providing more funding for the local SRO, but that having him at OBMS is a great outreach opportunity for the Ormond Beach Police Department.
"It provides a valuable service to the children and they provide a valuable service to the community," Shanahan said. "So if they weren't willing to fund it, then I think our children would lose out on the opportunity to build a relationship with the Ormond Beach Police Department officers."
Sargent said he agreed.
"But I'm not willing to have the taxpayers continue this," he said.
